Huntsville gazette., 1887-11-12
THOSE BOMBS.

| Weapons-Letters From Spies, schwat
and Fielden and From Fischer and Par
| sOns-POlice on the Qui Vive.
/ CHICAGO, Nov. S-Y esterday afternoon
Mr.W Nj. Salter, who has been working
in company with H. D. Lloyd to secure
the signatures of prominent citizens to
I request for commutation of the sentence
| against the Anarchists, asked Spies to
! say plainly what he knew about the bombs
found in Lingg's cell. Spies wrote the
following and to it was appended the
/ signatures of Fielden and Schwab
4 CHICAGO Nov. Z, 1887.
4 Mr. SALTER: 1t is useless for me and my
/ friends to say that we had no knowledge of any
\ thing of the kind No sane man would have
! bombs in his cell or countenance any such
/ thing in cell. Think of it-subject to search
| at any moment and at all times. The first in
| timaton / received of the matter came from
1 Sheriff Matson last evening. I could not be.
sieve is's.sta,t and can hardly believe it now.
1 1 have not spoken to Lingg Tor Think nine
months l don't know much of him, but
! think that he is monomaniac. Had only seer
MIN once or twice before we were put together
and charged with conspiracy" l don't be
| ieve that n single one of the other
! prisoners had even much az
suspicion. for otherwise they would
! undoubtedly have reasoned the man out of his
| folly. What use was he going to make of the
| shells? Throw them into the jail? What in
| tention. what object could there have been il
! such an undertaking? I repeat, no sane mar
| would be capable of such a thing. Iingg, as
/ far as I can judge him, seeks to be martyred
| and to be candid, would like the rest of us tc
| go with him. Did he put those instruments
into his cell so that they might be found? This
| is the question ] have been asking myself Il
| he had them there for any purpose, this is the
only one that looks plausible to me. He wants
| to die thinking thereby to help the cause O.
| labor. But he wanted us to die also. Perhaps
! he thought that the best and surest way tc
| bring this about was to place few bombs ir
his cell. / have never met as peculiar man as
he is before in my life, and for almost year
have considered him monomaniac and have
| had nothing to do with him.
| You ask me to condemn this action. 1t is use
| less to condemn +he action of an irresponsible
| man. II any one holds us or any of US response
| bic for Lingg's deeds then can't see why we
! should not be held responsible for any ms
| chief whatsoever committed in the world. AND
it has actually come to that. We are being
made the scape goats for every thing. Very
| sincerely yours A. SPIES.
| In the above concur fully.
| MICHAEL SCHWAB
| also concur in the above statements
| S. FELDEN.
A statement was also maue Dy flScHei
| as follows.
| II don't know what to think of it. 1 can moi
| comprehend that Lingg intended TO take the
lives Of the jail officers, who in eve respect
have treated us very kindly. Neither do 1 be
| leve that Lingg wanted to commit suicide be
cause he possessed too much courage. The
| whole affair is a puzzle to me. May my fate be
what it may, shall be grateful to the jail Off
cials for their kind treatment to the last
The following let ter concerning th'
bombs was written by Parsons:
| 1t is q mares nest; a canard; fake; pu
| up lob to create sensation and manufacture
| public prejudice. How in the world could
| bombs get into Lingg's cell unknown to those
| whose sole business it is to see that no such
| things get there? incredible. They say these
bombs found in Lingg's cell arc seven inches
| long and an inch in diameter and that there
| were four of them. There is no aperture in tht
! iron gratngs through which such missiles cOult
| get in. Or have the obliging guards at the in
spection room been passing up bombs tc
! Lingg's cell? Remember our cells were searcn
| ed about three or four weeks ago. and the
| scrutiny redoubled since nothing was found
then While it was impossible for bombs tt
| get to Lingg without the knowledge G.
| the officers, it was not i'm
| possible that some Of the many
| persons who have had ready access to his eel
| to put them there during his exercise hours, OF
! to put them there yesterday morning after he
| was taken out Of his cell. There are those il
| this community who would not hesitate {
! moment to put up such job on the Anarchists
| Llngg could have no use for bombs in thf
| Jail 1t would be simply impossible to get then
| without detection. Those bombs if they really
| were found there, were put there by some one
| whose business it was to find them there.
| They could not get in his cell in any other way.
| This last find of bombs is in keeping with
| the many other fakes lately thrown upon the
| community The story is too thin 1t won't
| wash Now don't impute a conspiracy to the
jail officials. believe both Folz and Matsor
are honorable men. Such has, at any rate, been
| their treatment of myself"
The two hun dred officers of the Central
! detail who have been on reserve duty at
| the Desplaines Street station since Friday
| were reused up at half past one O'Clock
| this morning, and two men stated they
| were all dressed and armed with rifles.
| Word had just reached the station that
men were drilling at Zephf's Hall, where
| the armed section of the various Anarchs
| groups used to meet before the Haymar
| ket explosion. An officer especially d e.
| tailed to watch the hall saw man hurry
ing along the sidewalk, hugging the build.
| ing closely and carrying a valise. At that
early hour the appearance of suspicious
character near Zephf's Hall on the heels of
the early scare of the evening, was enough
| to cause this unknown party to be fol-
| lowed. He stole softly until he came to
the hall, then he started up stairs. Here
he was overhauled and the yalise taken
from him. 1t was the sound of the men
| drilling on the floor overhead that caused
the officer to communicate with the sta
! tion.
Lieutenant Fitzpatrick got his men in
| marching order in little while. and a
few minutes later they were at Zephf's
Hall. But it was deserted. Those in
possession of the place before the police
arrived lost no time in getting away.
| What they were was not learned. But
| the rema inder of the night an additional
| watch was put on the scene and kept
there till daylight. The valise did not
contain dynamite or explosive bombs as
the police thought, but was filed with
Anarchist circulars and a lot of tickets
for an entertainment TO be given shortly
for the benefit of the families OF the con-
| victed bomb-throwers.
A number of bombs were found by the
| police on West North avenue. For obvious
I ~. IN or into mar